New Sheriff in Town
by LobsterLobster
Summary: AU where Beth is not killed! Beth is willing to fight for what she believes in. Adventure! Romance! Eventual Beth/Daryl and Rick/Michonne Update: Daryl contemplates what Beth's impromptu confession and Beth makes Rick a promise.
1. Chapter 1 - Stay Who You Are

Recognition

Summary: Beth has grown a lot since leaving her family farm. Now she is alone and has to decide for herself who she wants to be in this dark world. Will she hold on to hope for the future? Will Beth finally be reunited with the people she loves?

A/N: So, obviously, I'm very upset about the final events of the midseason finale. Fortunately, there exists fanfiction and infinitely many alternate universes where anything can happen! This is a story where Beth Greene does not get shot in the head.

….

Chapter 1 – Stay Who You Are

"Beth!"

Before he could react, Beth stepped forward and, her arms locked, pushed him hard in the chest, squeezing her eyes shut at the last second. He stumbled back and fell, disappearing into the black of the empty elevator shaft.

Beth lowered her arms to her sides. She took a deep breath, blinked to make sure he was gone, that it really happened, and let it out slowly.

Turning, she saw Dawn slumped on the ground near the fallen sign. The other woman's eyes were wide with adrenaline from the fight and desperation to live at any costs. She opened her mouth to say something but in that moment Beth could not stand to hear another word.

Beth spun and walked towards the door.

"Beth!" Dawn called again.

"I know. I won't say anything," Beth said without looking back.

_I only wanted to be alone._ The hospital itself was fairly large, but whole wings of it had been damaged in a fire in the early days, then burst pipes and occasionally an errant walker or two had made much of the building uninhabitable. The survivors occupied one main floor with patient rooms, a few doctor's offices, and then some supply rooms in the pediatrics wing, and the roof.

She couldn't go back to work, she didn't want to take the chance of seeing any of the other officers, or Dr (….) on the roof, and she wasn't hungry.

Fortunately, the halls were empty. Beth made her way to the patient room at the end of the hall and closed the door behind her.

She checked the patient's pulse. _Steady_. She looked at the clock but it wasn't yet time for another dose of medicine. There was nothing else she could do.

"Carol, please wake up," Beth said quietly, looking down at the grey-haired woman on the bed.

No response. The injured woman showed no signs of gaining consciousness, but her heartbeat was stronger than it had been a day ago and her face was a little less pale.

Beth looked down at her shoes. When she'd first seen Carol being wheeled in on a stretcher, her heart had skipped a beat. She'd been filled with a sense of urgency. She'd been anxious to make sure Carol was alright, to ask her so many questions.

"I'm sorry that you're here," Beth said now.

Beth sat against the wall beside the door, propping her arms on her knees and leaning her head back against the wall.

Nobody else would be coming to bother her, for a while anyway. Dr. Edwards didn't care if this patient lived or died and Dawn was probably busy making up another lie about why another officer had been killed.

_This is who you are until the end._ Beth kept thinking about what she'd said to Dawn. It was endlessly frustrating how Dawn just couldn't see it. _She doesn't see who I am. I would never give up and jump down an elevator shaft. I wouldn't just kill someone, not like Dr. Edwards, but I won't let someone attack me either. I know who I am and she can't change that!_

There were moments when she could see a flicker of something in Dawn, a small part of her that still wanted to do actual good, but the problem with Dawn was that she always changed her mind. There was too much cruelty, uncertainty, arrogance. _Why do I even try to argue with her?_

An hour later Beth was still sitting in the same position. When the door opened, she knew without looking who it was.

"It's okay to cry," Dawn said, as if she knew what was wrong.

_I'm not upset that I pushed that cop. That wasn't my fault. He hurt people. What would he have done to me after, if he killed you? It was your fault_, Beth thought bitterly.

"I don't cry anymore," Beth said, her voice firm.

_I said that once before, to Daryl_, she remembered with a pang in her heart. Usually, she tried not to think about him too much, or Maggie, or her dad, or Judith, or any of the others. If she let it, it would eat her alive, the worry and the sadness, the not knowing if Daryl had even made it out of that house after he led the walkers away from her, not knowing if Maggie or anyone else had made it out of the prison.

It wasn't true, of course. She had cried after that, but now she was different. She'd changed. _I'm not going to feel sorry for myself anymore. I'm just not._

Now Dawn was offering her a drink, holding out a little cup like she was doing Beth a favor, like she was offering her a branch of friendship. Beth ignored her. The last thing on earth that she wanted to do was to get drunk with Dawn.

The first and only time she'd gotten drunk was with Daryl. Some parts were a little fuzzy, but for the most part, she remembered everything. She remembered the strong taste of her first sip of moonshine, convincing Daryl to play a drinking game, knowing it was naïve but not caring, and of course the game turned into a huge fight. She remembered seeing how hurt Daryl was, how crushed he felt by what happened at the prison, then sitting on the porch at night, talking about life, deciding to burn away their old lives.

_We have to be who we are now, not who we were…but who am I now, stuck here without you, Daryl? What am I supposed to do now?_

Dawn sat on the edge of the hospital bed. She was rambling again about respect and control.

_My job is to be here for Carol when she wakes up, that's why I'm here._ Beth tried to focus on the present.

"I'm not stupid, Beth," Dawn said, nodding towards the woman in the bed, "I know you know her. You might think that means something; that you both ended up her. It doesn't."

For the first time, Beth looked her in the eye.

"Noah will come back. They always do. There's nowhere else to go but even if there was, they always come back," Dawn said.

_No! How can you be so wrong?! You are living in a delusion!_ Beth wanted to shout, _You don't know anything about Noah!_

"No, he's not coming back! He's going home!" Beth said defiantly, but Dawn wasn't listening.

"He's going home!" Beth repeated with force, all her anger simmering up once more.

Dawn is about to respond but then something unexpected happens.

The injured woman on the hospital bed shifted her arm, moved her head a little, and started to blink her eyes.

Beth got to her feet and so did Dawn.

"Carol!" Beth blurted out before she could think better of it, rushing to her friend's side.

"So her name is Carol, huh?" Dawn said.

"Carol, I'm here," Beth found Carol's hand and gripped it tightly, "How do you feel?"

"Beth…" her voice was rough, "Where…"

"You're in Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta," Dawn started in her authoritative voice.

Beth glared at Dawn, knowing what she was going to say next. _This is hardly the time. You didn't even care if she lived or died._

Before she could start in on her usual 'we saved you' and 'you owe us' spiel, Dawn's radio crackled. One of the officers sent to hunt down Noah was finally radioing in. Without another word, Dawn turned and left the room, finally leaving Beth and Carol alone.

Beth got Carol some water and gave her a small dose of painkillers.

"Don't push yourself too much," Beth cautioned, "Do you feel like you can talk a little?"

Carol nodded and took a ragged breath.

"I found you," Carol said tenderly, a sad smile on her face, and she squeezed Beth's hand.

"I missed you!" Beth found herself tearing up. She wanted to hug Carol, but she was worried about hurting her. She knew Carol had internal injuries but she had no idea how bad it was or what to do about it.

"Do you remember what happened?" Beth asked.

"I was with Daryl and this boy," Carol said slowly, trying to put her memories in order.

"Daryl's okay?!" Beth asked, a forgotten hope soaring in her heart again.

"Yeah," Carol smiled at her reaction, then, "I think so."

"We were looking for you. We found the boy…" Carol trailed off.

"Noah?" Beth asked. _It had to be him!_

"Yeah, Noah. He said he knew you. We were going to find you…" Carol recalled, more certain now, "I ran out of the building first. I heard a car and…and now I'm here."

"They said you were in a car accident," Beth said, her jaw tightening. _Those liars, they probably hit her themselves!_

"Are you okay?" Carol asked, looking at Beth's face.

"It's okay, it's not as bad as it looks," Beth reassured her, knowing she meant the large cuts on her cheek and forehead.

"It's not safe here. The people here, they aren't what they say they are," Beth said, still reeling from the news that Daryl was alive and he was with Noah, "What do we do now?"

Carol looked at the ceiling, thinking for a long moment, and Beth almost thought she was going to fall asleep again.

"If Noah was here before, he knows what this place is. They won't try anything stupid," Carol said, looking at Beth again, "Daryl will go get Rick and the others."

"Rick's alive?" Beth asked, stunned again.

Carol nodded, smiling. It wasn't often she got to share good news like this and she was going to enjoy it.

"Rick, Carl, and Michonne were together after the prison. Glenn, Maggie, Sasha, and Bob found some new people, good people. I was with Tyreese and Judith…" Carol recounted a much abbreviated version of recent events, "Daryl found Rick after you and he were separated. We all met up again at a place called Terminus."

"Terminus? Is that where they are now?" Beth asked, trying to take it all in.

"No, no. Terminus was a lie. We got out," Carol said, clearly simplifying the story, "Found a church, that's where the others were….How long have I been out?"

"You've been here about two days now," Beth said, thinking about what all this meant.

_We'd better wait…wait to see if Daryl and Rick come back, wait for Carol to heal some more…_ Beth decided.

"You saved Judith!" Beth grinned at Carol, but Carol seemed to be thinking about a memory that was more sad than happy.

Beth stopped herself from asking what was wrong. _A lot must have happened since I've seen Carol last._

The two women hadn't really become close until they were settled in to life at the prison, where they spent hours together, Carol teaching Beth how to take care of Judith. Beth used to babysit sometimes in the summers, but she had learned the most from Carol.

They formed an easy friendship. There were moments when Carol said something and Beth knew that she was talking about Sophia, though she never said the girl's name, and Beth knew better than to ask about it. She couldn't exactly put her finger on why, but Beth had that same feeling now.

She hugged Carol gently.

"How do you feel?" Beth asked.

"Hungry," Carol said honestly, and Beth smiled. _Hungry is a good sign._

"Don't move," Beth instructed unnecessarily, jumping up and heading for the door, "I'll get you something from the kitchen."

On her way back with a tray of food, Beth was so excited that she wanted to run, but she kept her pace to a hurried walk. She was, after all, still in enemy territory and she had to keep her guard up.

_Daryl's okay! He made it out and found Carol and the others! I'm going to see Maggie again! Carol's going to be okay and we're going to get out of here. I don't know how, but we will. We have to. I'm going to see Daryl again…_

Her elation dissipated at the sight of Dawn, Dr. Edwards, and two other cops standing outside Carol's room.

"Looks like you're getting your wish after all," Dawn said, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice, "You're leaving, Beth."

…

Preview: Will Rick's deal go according to plan and let everyone walk away? (Spoilers: Beth survives. Dawn does not.) Will Beth get the reunion she wants? Will Carol enjoy her dinner of roast guinea pig?

A/N: Don't worry, we'll get to the action next chapter! I'm planning to include a lot of characters and romance too (I seriously jumped on the Beth/Daryl bandwagon just in time to have my heart crushed. Perfect timing.) but this will be mainly a Beth Greene story!


	2. Chapter 2 - I Get it Now

New Sheriff in Town

Summary: The final showdown at the hospital could have been just as dramatic if it happened like this!

A/N: Don't be confused, I changed the story title. It's better now. For this chapter, I wanted to show what Beth was thinking when she made the choices she did. I hope you like it!

….

Chapter 2 – I Get it Now

The view of the ruined city looked just the same as it had the day she woke up in the hospital room. _Has anything really changed?_

Beth changed out of her light green scrubs, tossing them unceremoniously onto the ground. It felt good to wear her old blue jeans again, her yellow polo shirt, and her worn cowboy boots. Someone must have washed her clothes, but the blood stains on her shirt were still visible, a reminder of Daryl swinging a golf club at a walker's head.

Strangely, wearing her old clothes made the memories of her old life, before the hospital, feel more real than they had for some time.

She pulled on her grey sweater, making sure the sleeve didn't catch on her cast. She took one more look around the room. There was one last thing.

Beth reached under the thin mattress where she had stashed the surgical scissors. She slid the scissors carefully into her cast. _Things have changed._

_I'm ready now_, she decided, and reached for the door handle. Then she turned back around and picked up her discarded ward's uniform. She folded the cotton shirt and pants, setting them neatly on the foot of the bed. _No need to make an annoyance for the other wards._

Beth went to join Carol and wait.

…..

Rick Grimes always came up with a plan. When they left the farm, he got them all through the winter, found the prison… Rick was like an over protective older brother and seeing him turn the corner of the hospital hallway filled Beth with confidence. _Dawn, you are no match for Rick and Daryl!_

The exchange was tense, but things were going to plan so far. Rick sent one of his two hostages over.

Beth saw Daryl standing beside Rick, with Tyreese, Sasha, and Noah with them. It was all she could do not to run towards them. _Focus, Beth! This isn't over until it's over._ She gripped the handles of Carol's wheelchair tightly, watching Dawn carefully.

An officer moved in front of Beth and pushed Carol's chair down the hallway, carrying a bag with some spare medicine. Tyreese pulled Carol back behind their group and Rick's second hostage walked over to Dawn's side.

Then it was Beth's turn. This was going so well, she almost didn't believe it was happening. Each step took Beth closer to her family.

Rick looked haggard, with his dirty clothes and scruffy beard, but there was a steely determination in his eyes. When Beth got closer, Rick put his hand on her back, guiding her to the group, and placed a kiss on the top of her head, just like her dad used to.

Carol reached out to squeeze Beth's hand.

Standing with her family again, Beth fought to keep her composure. They weren't out of danger yet.

Daryl looked like he probably hadn't slept in days and there were the remains of a deep bruise around his eye. He started to turn his head towards her and Beth abruptly looked away right before their eyes could meet. She couldn't let her guard down just yet.

"I want Noah," Dawn said, unable as always to let anyone else get the final say, "Beth was my ward. I need Noah back."

"No," Rick stated, his voice loud and certain, "That wasn't the deal."

"I'm losing Beth," Dawn's hand was near her gun, "Noah was my ward before. He stays."

"The deal is done ," Rick repeated, tilting his head for emphasis, his own hand nearing his holster.

"It's okay, I'll stay," Noah spoke up, stepping forward.

"No," Rick told him, shaking his head, but Noah kept walking towards Dawn. He was going to sacrifice himself to keep Dawn from ruining the whole thing and starting a shootout in the crowded hallway.

"It's okay," Noah said again, more confidently.

_No! If he stays, as soon as we leave, she's going to beat him. She could kill him!_

"It's not okay," Beth spoke for the first time, but no one seemed to hear. Noah was between Dawn and Rick now. _This can't happen!_

Before anyone could stop her, Beth ran forward and threw her arms around Noah, hugging him tightly. He had been her only friend in the hospital. He'd been the one to give her a spark of hope that she could break free, that she needed to break free.

"They always come back," Dawn's smug words burnt a hole into Beth's heart.

Beth looked at the other woman over Noah's shoulder and that was when she knew, with cold certainty, that this is who Dawn is, who she will be until the end. _She will manipulate people and hurt people and she won't stop._

Beth pulled away from Noah, her eyes never leaving Dawn, her left hand moving discretely towards her cast.

"I get it now," Beth said fiercely. There was no time to hesitate.

Beth gripped the scissors tightly and lunged towards Dawn, aiming for her neck, but Dawn shifted at the last second and the sharp instrument instead plunged into her shoulder.

Beth lost her grip and then BAM!

The noise was so loud; it was a whole heartbeat before the ringing in her ears gave way to a hot agony in her stomach.

Something was wrong, very wrong, Beth realized as she blinked in confusion. She was on the ground, looking up at the flickering ceiling lights but the light was getting all fuzzy and the sounds were merging and pulsing through her head, closing in around her.

She tried to blink the world back into focus but it wasn't working.

There was another loud crack of lightning and Beth's sluggish mind finally placed the sound…_gunshot_.

A dark silhouette, then another hovered over her, then her eyes were too heavy and the light faded completely.

…..

TBC!

A/N: Don't worry, Beth is not going to die!

Preview: How will Daryl and Rick react to Beth getting shot in front of them? Will they be able to save her? And when will everyone else in the fire truck get there? What will Beth and Daryl's reunion be like, after all this time apart?


	3. Chapter 3 - Do or Die

New Sheriff in Town

Summary: How will everyone handle the aftermath of Beth's confrontation with Dawn?

A/N: I have a lot of cool scenes planned for this story and I really hope you like it!

…..

Chapter 3 – Do or Die

It didn't happen in slow motion. It happened so fast that Rick was left standing there in shock, his brain moving in slow motion to process what had happened.

Beth moved to confront the police officer, but she wasn't fast enough. The cop drew her pistol and the shot rang out in the narrow hallway.

_This is what always happens, again and again._ Rick saw it all flash in front of his eyes, frame after frame, in a matter of seconds.

A young Carl taking slow steps towards a deer in the green forest and then BAM! the deer falls and Carl falls, dark blood staining his shirt…Standing in front of Shane in a misty field, telling him that they can both go back, knowing it was a lie, stepping forward with his knife…At the prison yard, turning around to see Maggie in tears, a newborn baby in her bloody hands, Carl walking slowly behind her with his head down, one hand on his holstered gun…Looking through the chain-link fence at the Governor, standing next to a kneeling Hershel, sneering as he held Michonne's sword in his hand…

_This is my fate_, a detached voice whispered in Rick's ear, _to watch each person I love cut down in front of me._

In his peripheral vision, Rick saw Daryl step forward, his arm raised.

BAM! Daryl's bullet found its mark and the cop's head snapped back and she fell to the floor.

Daryl staggered forward, gun still raised. The people at the other end of the hall didn't move. Carol was standing now. She put a hand on Daryl's back and he lowered his gun. He fell to his knees beside Beth.

Daryl looked up at Rick, terror evident in his eyes. _We've been here before_, Rick remembered kneeling, bound and gagged, lined up waiting for the butchers at Terminus to make their way down the line and Daryl looking at him as if to say, 'What do we do now, brother?'

_We're not done fighting yet._ Rick felt that familiar deadly resolve harden around him once more and he knew what to do.

"Keep pressure on it!" Rick ordered and Daryl moved to press his hands flat over the red wound in Beth's stomach.

Noah crouched to help get Beth lying flat on the ground. Rick stepped around them, pointing towards the cluster of people a few yards down the hallway.

…..

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Officer Shepherd ordered, "It's over. It was just about her. Stand down."

To her relief, the other officers beside her holstered their weapons. There was no need for more people to die uselessly. _Dawn is gone. It's over._

"Which one of you is the doctor?" Rick shouted, walking towards her.

Shepherd blinked. _Is the girl alive?_ It happened so quick, the girl lunging at Dawn, Dawn's weapon firing and the girl falling to the ground, then Rick's man shot Dawn. In a matter of seconds, everything changed.

"The doctor?!" Rick shouted again, and Shepherd kicked herself into action. _It's not over yet._

She turned and grabbed Dr. Edwards' arm, yanking him forwards. The man's eyes were wide with shock.

"Go," she nudged him towards Rick, but Dr. Edwards hesitated, looking at Rick fearfully.

Shepherd felt a shiver race down her spine. Looking at Rick's steely determination, she recognized this as one of those moments where what she did next decided if she lived or died.

"Steven!" she said forcefully, and the doctor finally focused on her.

"SAVE THE GIRL!" she shouted with every last bit of power she had, "NOW!"

Edwards nodded dumbly and followed Rick the short distance down the hall, breaking into a run.

"Tell me what happened," Edwards said as he reached Beth. Of course, he had witnessed what happened, but he was falling back onto his training. That was a good sign.

"Gunshot wound to the chest, close range," Rick replied efficiently. _Yep, he definitely used to be a cop._

"She's losing blood fast," she heard Edwards call out.

Shepherd ordered two of the officers to get a room ready and bring a stretcher.

"Does this mean you're in charge now?" one of them actually had the nerve to ask.

Officer Licari, who had been taken hostage alongside Shepherd, glared and said, "First we save the girl. If she dies, we're going to have a lot more to worry about than who is class president. Go!"

Licari gave Shepherd a look that said, 'I have your back. Let's get this done.'

Shepherd nodded back, "I'll get the keys to the medicine cabinet."

…..

It didn't take Dr. Edwards long to get everyone in order.

At one point or another he had trained all of the wards in basic first aid. Beth had been the first one in a while to show real potential to learn more, but the others at least knew how to take orders. He had Noah and another ward, Percy, helping him, standing ready to hand him a tool or a bandage.

He gave Beth a strong sedative and hooked her up to the heart monitor. Officer Shepherd and the others were busy rerouting power from the rest of the hospital so that he could use any of the equipment he needed in this room.

Once the bleeding slowed, Dr. Edwards finally managed to convince the man in the leather jacket to step back and let him handle it. The man stood with his back to the door to give Edwards space to work, but didn't leave the room. He looked shell-shocked, his hands red with Beth's blood.

Carol, the grey-haired woman who had been a patient herself only an hour ago, insisted that she had first aid experience and would help as well. Nobody else spoke up to stop her, so Dr. Edwards agreed, giving her the task of monitoring Beth's vitals.

He didn't have access to an X-ray or an MRI, but there was a mobile sonogram machine. It was far from ideal, but the grainy image helped assess the damage.

"Here's the good news," Edwards spoke to the room, squinting at the machine, "Like I thought, it looks like the bullet went straight through. No fragments."

"And the bad news?" Carol asked him.

Edwards met her eyes, "It's unclear how extensive, but there is serious tissue damage around her stomach. Internal bleeding. I need to operate to stop the bleeding."

"Okay," Carol said, glancing at the back of the room then at Edwards again, "Do it."

Edwards gave Noah and Percy more orders, getting everything prepped for the procedure. It would be risky, but he knew what to do.

The door opened and the leader of Beth and Carol's group came inside, but he didn't say anything. He stood beside his friend, watching anxiously with his arms crossed over his chest.

Edwards looked at Beth's pale face_. I certainly underestimated you._ He held out his hand and Noah placed a sanitized scalpel on his palm.

"Hey," Carol said, looking at him from across the raised bed, "If you mess this up-"

"Let me guess," Edwards interrupted her, "If I mess this up and Beth dies, you will slit my throat, right?"

For a second Carol looked taken aback, as that was exactly what she was about to say.

"Yeah," she finished simply.

"If that happens, I'm afraid you'll have to get in line," he said tersely, nodding his head towards the two men at the back of the room who had each already made similar statements.

"Just do your job," Carol said evenly.

And with that bit of encouragement, Dr. Edwards got to work. _No pressure, huh._

…

TBC!

Preview: Now that Dr. Edwards is properly motivated, will he be able to save Beth? (I'll give you a hint, the answer is: Yes, but it won't be easy!)


	4. Chapter 4 - Believe

New Sheriff in Town

Summary: Maggie makes it to the hospital just in time to find out that her sister has been shot.

A/N: I have a lot more ideas for this story, so I really hope you like it!

…..

Chapter 4 – Believe

Rick looked at his friend, not sure what to say to make it better. _I can't make it better._

The surgery was just getting under way and Dr. Edwards seemed wholly focused on the task at hand. One of the wards had blood type O, the universal donor, and was in the next room over having blood drawn in case Beth needed a transfusion. She would probably need a transfusion.

Daryl's expression was pained. He hadn't moved an inch from his spot at the back of the room, unofficially keeping guard. Most people didn't see it right away, if at all, but Daryl was someone who cared deeply for his friends. That's where his loyalty came from, Rick knew, and what made Daryl such a reliable friend.

When Rick couldn't do it, Daryl didn't hesitate to go searching for baby formula for little Judith. 'You're family, too,' Daryl had told him then. _Beth is family too._ Saving Beth meant a lot to Rick and the others, too, but she meant something special to Daryl. _I have to try._

"Look how far she's come," Rick said aloud, "She's made it this far already. She'll pull through this too."

At first Daryl didn't respond. His eyes never left the girl lying on the hospital bed, the doctor and his assistants hovering over her.

"I know," Daryl said.

He looked at Rick briefly, then down at his hands, still messy from trying to stop Beth's bleeding right after it happened. He ineffectually tried to wipe his hands on his shirt, then gave up and went back to watching Beth.

"I know she's strong," he said, then sighed.

Then, in a voice low so Rick almost didn't hear it, Daryl added, "I still hate it."

Rick nodded. _Waiting is its own torture._ After a moment longer, Rick put his hand on his friend's shoulder then left to check on the others.

Tyreese was busy mopping up the floor, which at first seemed like an odd thing to do. On second thought, this was a place where people lived, and a hospital after all, so it was important to clean blood off the floor.

"Hey," Tyreese greeted Rick, nodding towards a room across the hall, "Sasha's in there. They've got some food."

Sure enough, Rick found Sasha sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, machine gun within easy reach, eating something off a plate.

"Any news?" she looked up, worried, as he entered.

"Nah, not yet. The doctor is operating," Rick reported from the doorway so Tyreese could hear as well, wishing he had more to tell.

"So what'd they do with the body?" Rick asked.

"Tossed her down an elevator shaft," Sasha said matter-of-factly.

"Huh," was all Rick had to say to that. _Seems pretty harsh, doing that to someone they've known for years…but then again, we're talking about a person who kept a hospital run by captured servants and liked to shoot at girls when she was nervous…_

"Here," Sasha stood up and offered Rick the plate, "there's more where this came from."

Before Rick could take a bite, Officer Shepherd appeared with a serious expression.

"Are you expecting anyone else?" she asked Rick pointedly, "Backup?"

Rick and Sasha exchanged looks.

"What?" Rick asked.

"My spotter on the roof says there's a fire truck circling around near the side entrance."

"Let's check it out," Rick said led the way.

…

Maggie stepped down from the fire truck's door and walked towards the hospital. Glenn, Michonne, and Tara fell in around her, wary for any walkers that may appear.

Sure enough, there were several cars parked to the side, each with a white cross painted on the back window. Just like Daryl said.

Maggie felt like she was walking through a lake. She felt equal parts hopeful excitement and anxious restraint.

The hospital door opened and Rick emerged. He looked serious, but he always looked serious. There was a splatter of red blood on his shirt, but that could mean anything.

"Maggie," he said, closing the distance between them.

"We found her," Rick said.

Maggie broke into a smile but before the relief could settle in, Rick spoke again.

"She's alive, but she's hurt," Rick said, blocking her way, "It's bad, but the bullet went straight through and the doctor-"

"Bullet?!" Maggie gasped. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she had to struggle to focus on what Rick was saying next.

"Maggie," Rick said, holding her shoulders, "Look at me. The doctor says he can fix it. He's going to fix it."

She blinked back tears, trying to process the news, "I have to…where is…"

Rick let go of her and moved aside so she could go to the door. Maggie broke into a run, dimly aware of passing Sasha and Tyreese, of Glenn following close behind her.

A woman in a police uniform, of all things, stood inside the hospital, looking bewildered.

"Beth?!" was all Maggie could manage to ask.

The woman seemed to know what to do and led Maggie up flight after flight of stairs at a quick pace and down a long hallway, overhead lights flickering.

"Beth's in surgery now. Right there," the woman indicated a room midway down the hall.

"BETH!" Maggie burst out, reaching for the door.

"Wait! She's in surgery!" the cop tried to block Maggie.

"She's my sister!" Maggie yelled in her face and the woman backed off.

Maggie reached for the door again but someone was already opening it from the inside. The door opened and she heard Daryl's gruff voice but his words weren't making any sense because all Maggie could see was Beth laid out on a hospital bed, a man in a white coat bent over her, hands covered in red.

"No!" Maggie let out a strangled cry as she tried to go to Beth, but she couldn't because Daryl was blocking her way.

"What the Hell?!" the doctor looked up at the commotion, then motioned to Carol, who was standing across form him, "Get them out!"

"No! Beth!" Maggie cried.

Daryl held her tight and almost carried her back into the hallway.

"Maggie, just breathe, alright," Daryl told her, refusing to let go.

Maggie didn't have much of a choice, so she did as she was told. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, tried to swallow her fear, and opened her eyes, forced herself to focus on Daryl's face instead of the closed door.

"Beth is gonna be alright. We gotta let the doc do what he's gotta do, okay?" the more Daryl talked, the calmer Maggie got. If Daryl said it was going to be alright, then she had to trust him.

"What happened?" Maggie asked, then louder, "Who shot my sister?!"

"It's taken care of," Daryl said simply and that didn't give a lot of information but Maggie took that to mean that the person responsible was already dead.

Maggie nodded, trying to calm down so she could ask for the whole story or ask what to do to help, but her thoughts kept racing and her tears wouldn't stop. She covered her eyes and bit back a sob.

Now she was leaning against Daryl and he was holding onto her so she wouldn't fall.

"I'm sorry," Maggie's voice came out as a whisper, "Daryl, I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" he asked, clearly confused.

"I didn't believe you," Maggie said and her voice got stronger as she found a way to put words to what she was feeling, "You said she was alive. It's not that I thought you were wrong, or lying or anything, but I guess I just couldn't believe it was true."

"You didn't know," Daryl said, conciliatory.

"No, but you knew, and that should have been enough," Maggie took a ragged breath.

"I thought she was dead. At the prison, I saw the bus leave and I though Glenn was on it, so I believed I could find Glenn, and I did. But Beth, I couldn't find her, I didn't know where she was, I had to leave her behind…"

Daryl and the others were quiet, letting her talk. Even now, it hurt like a knife in her chest to talk about that day.

"I thought Beth died at the prison. Her and Daddy both. I guess it was easier…I just decided not to think about it. There was nothing I could do, to get them back, I didn't know what to do…I didn't know. I didn't believe enough…I'm so sorry…"

Maggie broke into tears again, guilt and grief welling up. Unable to do anything else, she wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck and cried on his shoulder.

"Beth's gonna pull through," Daryl said.

"Look how far we've come," he said, his low voice firm, "We've made it this far already."

…..

TBC!

Preview: How is everyone handling the stress of this dire situation? Will they rise to the occasion and save Beth's life?


	5. Chapter 5 - Okay

New Sheriff in Town

Summary: Beth's surgery is under way. Everyone settles in for the night at the hospital, waiting for good news.

A/N: Thank you to everyone following me and writing reviews! You guys rock! Happy New Year!

…..

Chapter 5 - Okay

_I can't tell her it's going to be okay._ The last time Rick had tried to say those words, to Carl, as they ran from the smoking ruins of the prison, Carl had given him the plainest look of betrayal, fury, disbelief, and the words had died in his throat. No, it wasn't okay and saying that it was, out of some misplaced reflex wasn't going to make it okay.

So, he told Maggie the truth. He said it as calmly and gently as he could, because it was best to tell the plain truth. _Don't make promises you don't know are true._

Maggie took it the best she could. Rick stepped aside and let her run towards the hospital, towards her sister.

"Glenn," Rick said, and the younger man nodded his understanding and followed after Maggie.

Rick looked around the partially fenced-in parking area, a couple no longer animated corpses scattered around, a blood-red fire truck idling at the street, Abraham at the wheel.

His eyes settled on Michonne. She came to him, katana in hand, ready for danger as always. _I didn't expect to see you here_, Rick felt like he had released a breath he hadn't known he was holding_, but I'm glad to see you. _

"They're safe," Michonne said before he could open his mouth, "They're in the truck."

Rick nodded. _Carl and Judith._ Michonne always knew to say the most important thing first.

"Let's get the truck in here and close the fence, get everyone inside," Rick said, "We'll be here for a while."

…

"Get them out!" Dr. Edwards yelled impatiently and, strangely, for a moment Carol felt like she was watching one of those television dramas she used to watch sometimes, with a heroic emergency room doctor yelling orders, the dialogue unfolding predictably.

Carol blinked back to the present. Edwards' words echoed in the small room, mixed with Maggie's cries and the mechanical beeps and hums of the life support equipment.

Carol blinked again. She stood up straighter and peeled the blood-stained latex gloves off her hands. Daryl was already half-carrying Maggie outside into the hall. Carol followed them out and stood in front of the door.

Carol shivered. She felt dizzy again, the pain and nausea filtering back in to her consciousness. _Stand still, it will pass._

Maggie's unrestrained sobs hit something inside her and she felt another memory flutter to the surface.

The clatter of Sophia running into the house, dropping her book bag on the floor, bursting through the bedroom door and seeing Carol lying in bed, dried blood and bruises on her face again. Sophia cried so hard, inconsolably, for hours, and that was when Carol had taken them to the shelter in Atlanta. The same room she stood in a day ago and told Daryl that she didn't think you get to save people any more.

"Carol," a voice said, and she realized that she standing still, staring straight ahead, but it wasn't working.

"Carol," Tyreese said again, placing a hand on her arm and looking in her face questioningly.

"I don't feel good," she said, her voice small.

"Come on, you better lie down," Tyreese said, wrapping an arm around her protectively and she wanted to push him aside and say _I don't need help_, she really did, but she didn't quite have the strength.

Ty led her to an empty patient room across the hall. She glanced back to see Daryl standing a little stiffly, consoling Maggie, Glenn hovering beside them, looking anxiously between his wife and the window to Beth's room.

_I tried, I tried to help her_, Carol wanted to tell Daryl. _I'm not sure if I did any good, but I did try…_

She sat on the bed, hands gripping her knees. It was dim, the curtains pulled low. Tyreese was asking something along the lines of 'Are you okay?' or 'How do you feel?' but her thoughts were swirling all together and she couldn't focus on him.

When Carol woke up early that morning and saw Beth's face above her own, felt Beth's hand holding hers, her first thought was not _maybe_ _Daryl was right, maybe you can save people._ That would have been too easy, to have a life-changing realization just like that. Suddenly everything is different, suddenly having hope again, suddenly everything is going to be okay.

No, the first thing she thought when she saw Beth's soft smile, her blonde hair glowing around her head, the comforting touch of her hand, was _Oh, Beth is here. This must be heaven, then. It's real after all…_

Then the rest of the room came into focus, with aching pain in her body and a woman in a cop's uniform, hair pulled back in a severe bun, looking at her with a sense of resignation. For a second she had felt foolish for thinking she was dead, then a little bit disappointed.

"You should rest. You're still hurt. You need to take care of yourself, too," Tyreese broke into her thoughts.

_Leave me alone. Why do you care about me, of all people?_ She thought bitterly, tiredly.

_Stop it. He's Tyreese. Of course he cares, he can't help it._ Carol sighed.

_He's always right. I should lie down before I fall down_, she conceded to herself. She sighed and lay down carefully.

Everything hurt so badly. Her collarbone and her leg from the plunge off the bridge the other day. Now the new pains, too: her ribs, her arms, her head…everything.

…..

After Carol followed the others out, Noah and Dr. Edwards exchanged a look. For maybe the first time, they seemed to understand each other, to be thinking the same thing. _Now it's us. We can do this._

"Get the IV ready," Dr. Edwards instructed and Noah did as he was told.

For the first few months that he'd been at the hospital, Noah worked as the doctor's ward. He didn't have much talent for it, not like Beth, who only needed to be told the name and use of a medicine once and she remembered it. Still, he could prep an IV, hand Edwards the correct instrument on command, cut gauze quickly; the basics.

His eyes kept drifting back to Beth's pale face. She was unconscious, peacefully unaware thanks to the anesthetics.

It seemed strange now, but when Beth first arrived at the hospital, Noah had been so preoccupied with thoughts of helping her. Not just because she was pretty, and she was very pretty, but because she was alone and he knew what that was like.

He wanted to be the one to encourage her, to cheer her up with a surprise lollipop, to tell her what things were really like at the hospital, to shield her from blame, to show her that there was hope for escape. _I was wrong. Beth, you were braver than me the whole time, weren't you?_

He didn't realize it, what kind of person Beth really was, until too late, when he was standing outside the fence and the officers had Beth pinned to the ground. She shot the rotters in his path so that he could escape and got that new gash on her forehead because of it.

_She did it again, today. Beth had the courage to confront Dawn when I never did. I spent almost two years here and, for all my dreams and secret plans, I never once tried._

Noah carefully slid the IV needle into Beth's arm and made her a silent promise, _If you get through this, I'll tell you how sorry I am. You keep getting hurt because of me. You won't have to do that anymore. I'm going to try harder. I'm going to be braver._

…

There weren't enough rooms for all of the newcomers to have their own space, so some quick reshuffling was done. The rooms not currently occupied by patients were divvied up. One end of the hall for the remaining officers, then the wards, then Rick's group split up between several rooms at the other end of the long hallway.

Most decided to arrange mattresses on the floor, easier to fit more people together in the small rooms. It would be cozy, but considerably safer and more comfortable than they were accustomed to.

"You can stay here, all of you, as long as you need," Officer Shepherd told Rick.

_Not like I have a choice, anyway_, she thought. Still, she said it because she wanted to show him that they were welcome. _I'm not like Dawn. Things will be different now. Better._

…..

There was a layered darkness in the hospital when Rick finally left Beth's room. The generators kept the power on in that one room, a little island in the night.

"I've done all I can," Dr. Edwards ran a shaky hand over his eyes then pushed his glasses back up, "Now we wait."

Rick nodded and watched the other man walk slowly down the hall. Maggie and Daryl were sitting on either side of Beth's bed. Glenn's chair was backed against the far wall.

Rick made his way carefully through the dark to the room Michonne had claimed. He paused in the open doorway.

Carl was lying down, hopefully asleep. Michonne sat with her chin resting on her knees next to a plastic bin, padded with blankets, another makeshift crib for Judith. She stroked the little girl's head gently.

"Dad," Carl sat up, not asleep after all, "Is Beth okay?"

"Yeah, she's sleeping now," Rick said and Carl seemed relieved. The boy lay back down and Rick realized that he was exhausted as well. He was too tired to move, almost, so he stood where he was for a little while, thinking.

Michonne got up and came to him, "How is it?"

"Doc says she's stable, looks good, but we won't know for sure until she wakes up," Rick said, his voice low.

Michonne nodded, looking a little less worried.

"How about you?" she asked, touching his arm.

It was a small touch, something that was slowly becoming more common between them. It made part of Rick want to pull away and close himself off before he felt anything else, then part of him wanted to give in and wrap his arms around Michonne and hold her close. In the end, he chose something in the middle of his conflicting impulses.

He didn't move. He glanced away, watching Carl and Judith, trying to come up with an answer for her question.

_It was the right plan, like Daryl and Tyreese said, doing an exchange. I did everything I could. And still, I was left standing there yet again as another person I care about was shot in front of me. _

Rick swallowed those memories again. Michonne knew as well as anyone what that felt like, he didn't need to relive it again.

"I killed a cop today," Rick found himself saying instead.

Michonne didn't say anything, waiting for him to explain, so he did.

"He hit Sasha and ran off. I told him to stop, but he didn't...So I stopped him," Rick said.

_Now it's her turn to say, 'You did what you had to', 'You did the right thing'. Why are people always so eager to say that, never mind if it's true or not…_

"Things don't mean what they used to," Michonne said.

"What?" Rick asked, caught off-guard.

"Things that meant something in the past, before the world changed, they don't mean the same thing anymore," Michonne said thoughtfully, leaning back against the other side of the doorway, watching him.

"Those uniforms they're wearing, police uniforms, they meant something specific before. But now that world is gone, it's changed, so even if they still call themselves cops, it doesn't mean the same thing. It can't. Now we're all just people. Whoever we decide we are," she said.

"You killed a man who used to be a cop."

_I used to be a cop too. That's not who I am anymore, hasn't been for a long time. _

After a while, Rick said, "Come on, let's get some sleep."

…..

TBC!

A/N: This might be the wildcard opinion, but I sort of really want Carol and Tyreese to get together! I don't know, I think it could happen.

Preview: Beth wakes up! What will her reunion with her family be like? (Finally, another Beth chapter!) Now, it would be just plain irresponsible of me to write a hospital fanfic without someone drugged up on painkillers making impromptu confessions…


	6. Chapter 6 - Better Than Ice Cream

New Sheriff in Town

Summary: Beth wakes up to new discoveries.

A/N: I think this is the chapter you've all been waiting for! Enjoy!

….

Chapter 6 – Better Than Ice Cream

Beth felt her senses coming back gradually, like swimming to the surface of the lake and realizing she must have swum deeper than she thought.

Her eyes were so heavy, too heavy to open, but she could hear the hum of the hospital machines, feel the hospital blanket against her arms, smell the hospital smells.

_Mom, you lied…You promised getting my tonsils out wouldn't hurt at all, but this…it hurts so much! Mom! You were wrong! No amount of ice cream in bed could be worth this!_

"Mom," Beth whimpered, blinking open her eyes. It's dark.

_Oh._ She forgot the pain a little bit as she focused on her surroundings. It was a hospital room, but not the room she had imagined. _I'm not twelve anymore. Mom is gone. I'm now-Beth and this is the hospital. Atlanta hospital. I'm hurt. Where is…_

The overhead lights were off. A camp lantern sat on a table off to the side, giving a dim glow to the small room.

Beth turned her head. Someone was sitting beside her bed, hunched over, his head resting on crossed arms. She knew instinctively who it was.

_Daryl!_ she tried to call out, but her mouth was too dry. She swallowed.

Discovering that she could move her arm, Beth reached over. She meant to tap his arm, _Hey, wake up!_ but misjudged the distances and ended up smacking him in the head.

Daryl woke up with a startle, scanning the room for danger before settling his eyes on Beth.

"Beth?" he asked.

"Hey," she managed, her voice rough and tasting metallic.

"Beth, I'm here. You're alright," his deep voice was comforting.

"You're here," Beth said in a rush of relief. _Don't you know how badly I wanted to see you?_

Daryl produced a water bottle from somewhere and helped her take a sip. It hurt to swallow, but she felt a little better after.

"How do you feel?" he asked gently.

Now that her vision was clearing and adjusting to the dim light, she could see him better, hair in his face, as usual, dirt on his arms, worn leather over his shoulders. She could just make out the remains of a deep bruise on his face. He looked worn and battered, like he'd walked a hundred miles.

"Beth?" he asked again, and she could hear the tiredness in his voice, the kind of tired that comes from too many nights of fear and worry.

"Hurts," she said, and her voice sounded distant in her ears, "It hurts."

"I know," Daryl said softly.

"Beth? Beth?!" came another voice and Beth turned her head in the other direction.

"Maggie?!" she gasped in surprise and joy, "Ah! Maggie!"

Her sister nodded, grinning by her side. She must have been asleep by the bed as well.

"Oh, Bethy," Maggie smiled in relief, squeezing her hand and lightly stroking her hair, "I love you, Beth. You're gonna be okay now, sweetheart. It's okay now. I love you so much!"

Beth smiled at her sister, looked between Maggie and Daryl, feeling confused, like there was some explanation missing here, something important.

"Do you remember what happened?" Daryl asked cautiously, picking up on her confusion.

"I was…We were in the hall…" Beth summoned her memories, putting together the images as they appeared, "I remember…The last thing I remember was hugging…Noah. I was hugging him goodbye…"

_Why goodbye, though? Why was I saying goodbye if we were supposed to leave together, all of us leave together. Leave the hospital._

Beth felt her confusion grown. She looked at Maggie questioningly. _I didn't see you here earlier, in the hall. Why are we here now? _Maggie looked to Daryl.

"You confronted the woman in charge," Daryl said, pausing, then, "She shot you."

"Oh," Beth said. _Dawn._

She couldn't quite summon those last moments before everything went black, they were too shaky and blurry, but it made sense. She remembered feeling anger, a furious confidence, a crystal resolve that was previously unknown to her.

_I did that. I finally did it. Confronted Dawn…_ Beth finally had words to describe the pain she felt, the hot agony, it was centered in her stomach. _She shot me!_

At the same time, she felt cold and frightened. _I almost died! I almost died_, repeated in her mind. _I almost never saw Maggie again. I almost never saw Daryl again. I stood next to him and didn't even look at him and that would have been it. _

_What if I had died? What if…_ It was getting hard to breath and Beth realized that she was crying and she couldn't stop. She couldn't stop the dark thoughts that ran into the room, one after another.

_What if Maggie got here just in time to see me die? It'd be like watching Daddy…but worse, since she'd be alone now…And Daryl? Without even saying goodbye, after he fought so hard, after he finally decided there are good people left, he'd be so hurt…_

_I almost did that. I almost died…_ It was too much, the pain in her stomach, reaching out through her limbs, the cold fear of something narrowly escaped, all the worry and the waiting and the doubt of the past weeks trapped in the hospital.

Beth couldn't hold it in any more, and so she cried.

….

Sometime, probably well into the small hours of the morning, Glenn realized that he must have fallen asleep because now he was awake and so was Beth.

Daryl was talking to her in a low voice and Maggie was comforting her, stroking her hair. Glenn watched them, relieved. Finally, something good happens. Then Beth started crying, struggling for air.

"Glenn!" Maggie's voice was sharp with urgency, panic behind her brown eyes.

"Get the doctor!" his wife's words pushed him out the door and into the hall.

Glenn ran a few steps, saw that everything was dark and quiet and he didn't actually know which room the doctor might be in. He took a steadying breath.

"DOCTOR!" Glenn shouted at the top of his voice, "DOCTOR EDWARDS!"

So what if he woke every soul in the hospital in the process? Beth was hurting and this was the quickest way to find Edwards.

Before he could finish another shout, doors were already opening and people were running out. Michonne, Rick, Tyreese, a man in a police uniform.

"Beth's awake," Glenn said, pointed at the cop, "Get the doctor!"

Thankfully, the man didn't question his orders and ran down the hall.

…..

"I wanted to wait until she woke up before giving her too much," Dr. Edwards said as he injected Beth with a dose of morphine, "This will help with the pain. It'll take fifteen, maybe twenty minutes to kick in fully."

After what felt like ages, Beth started to calm down and her crying subsided. Daryl thought she looked like she was simply too exhausted to cry any more, but as the minutes passed, the drugs seemed to be working. Her pained expression relaxed.

Beth dozed in and out of sleep. Maggie wiped her face gently with a damp cloth and everyone settled down again.

"Get some sleep, sis," Maggie murmured.

_Relax_, Daryl told himself. He rolled his shoulders, trying to release the pent-up tension that he'd been carrying all day.

"You found me," Beth was awake again, smiling brightly at him.

"Course I did," Daryl answered.

"I'm happy," Beth said, her words taking a little longer than usual to string together, "I'm happy you found me. Was gonna come look for you, ya know?"

"Well, I think the painkillers are working," Daryl said and Maggie cracked a smile for the first time.

"How do you feel?" Maggie asked her sister.

"I feel great!" Beth answered cheerfully, then looked at Daryl again, "This is even better than moonshine!"

"When did you drink moonshine?" Maggie asked, "Here?"

"No, no, before, with Daryl," Beth explained, "We drank moonshine, then we talked about…stuff. Then we burned down a building!"

She said this excitedly, making large gestures.

"Oh my," Maggie exclaimed, quite unsure what to make of this new information. She raised an eyebrow at Daryl questioningly.

Daryl shrugged noncommittally, "Seemed like the thing to do."

"We burned away all the bad stuff, Maggie, like, things from the past…burned it all down…It was beautiful," Beth said.

"Yes, I'm sure it was lovely," Maggie indulged her, patting her sister's arm, "Try to get some rest now."

"Okay…" Beth murmured and Maggie went to the end of the room to talk with Glenn about something.

Daryl realized that Beth was smiling at him again. It was a softer, more thoughtful smile than before.

"You're a good man, Daryl Dixon," she said, reaching out her hand.

Daryl took her hand and held it, remembering that time they stood by a tombstone with the words 'Beloved Father' carved into it and Beth had threaded her fingers through his, each hand comforting the other.

Beth's eyes blinked slowly and Daryl thought she was almost asleep when she spoke up one more time, her voice so quiet that only he heard it.

"I love you."

…

TBC!

Preview: How will Daryl react to Beth's drug-induced confession? Will she even remember what she said?


	7. Chapter 7 - Promise

New Sheriff in Town

Summary: Daryl reflects on his life. Rick offers Beth some advice.

A/N: I'm trying to become a better writer and write for characters that I don't usually write for. Daryl is one of my favorite characters but I've been kinda hesitant to write him because you sort of have to infer what he's thinking. He doesn't talk or emote as much as the others sometimes.

Anyway, I like how this story is going so far. I hope you like it too!

…..

Chapter 7 - Promise

For the second time in as many days, Daryl was stunned. This wasn't something that happened often. The slam on your breaks and wait impatiently for your brain to catch up and identify what your eyes just saw in the headlights kind of stunned. This can't be happening but it is and you better figure out what to do with it and fast.

No. Life he'd lead, Daryl Dixon was not a man who scared easy. That's not to say he always kept his cool, though he'd been better about that lately. Daryl was someone who was naturally on alert, quick to react, to take things as life dealt them out.

So it was unusual, although maybe not that surprising, all things considered, that three small words whispered by a young woman lying in a hospital bed would leave Daryl stunned. Did he really hear what he thought he heard? _Was she saying that to me? It could have been Maggie, right?_

"You're a good man, Daryl Dixon…I love you…" then Beth's eyes stayed closed and her breathing slowed into sleep, a ghost of a smile still on her lips.

Beth had probably been told the words 'I love you' every day of her life, probably several times a day. She heard those three words when her mom woke her gently in the morning, again when she was sent off to school, when she got home, when her dad got home from work, when she was tucked into bed at night… she was a girl who knew she was loved.

Saying 'I love you' was nothing to her. Well, maybe not nothing, but it was easy. A fact of life, the same as saying 'My name is Beth' or 'There are still good people'.

Daryl was different. Growing up, he'd heard those words only maybe a dozen times. Before she died, his mom would tell him occasionally, when she remembered. Later, it was never with those words specifically, but there were times that he knew someone cared about him.

When he found Merle leaning against his motorcycle outside the auditorium where Daryl was handed his high school diploma – Daryl had graduated by the skin of his teeth, but he'd made it – and Merle said simply, 'You did good, baby brother,' none of his usual berating tirades.

When he got ready to ride off in search of Sophia, only two days recovered from an arrow through the side, and Carol stopped him, saying, 'I can't lose you, too.'

When he sat by an abandoned van next to a visibly shaken Rick, red blood covering his face and his hands, looked him in the eye and said, 'You being here, it's everything. You're my brother.'

Daryl looked down at Beth's small hand, held securely in his own.

_Beth, why are you so good to me?_ he asked her silently, remembering the time they spent together, Beth insistent that they don't give up hope, that it was okay to care about people, even after all they'd lost.

…_Don't you know how important you are to me?_

…..

"So, what's the plan?" Sasha asked no one in particular and Rick in general, "Are we staying here for good? Is this home?"

She settled onto the cafeteria table bench and scooped some food into her mouth as she waited for a response. Michonne, Carl, and Glenn sat across from her. Tara, Rosita, and Abraham shared a nearby table. A few others were scattered around the room.

Rick looked up from feeding Judith.

"We stay until Beth and Carol are healed up," Rick said slowly, "Catch our breath, get our bearings. Then we'll figure it out from there."

"Alright," Sasha agreed and no one else voiced any dissent.

She almost expected Sargent Abraham to have something to say about it, after how strongly he'd clashed with Rick before, at the church, but the whole Washington is a lie debacle seemed to have taken a toll on him.

"The doctor says it could take Beth several weeks to recover. Like it was for Carl," Glenn said.

Tyreese settled down next to Sasha to eat. He had a second plate with a cover; food to bring back to Carol.

Sasha ate for a while, deciding how to say what was on her mind.

"I know nothing's the same as it was," she began, "but we could make a council again, at least for while we're here."

_I know we're missing some people_, was what she really meant, and everyone else seemed to know it. Sasha hadn't known Hershel that long, not like Rick and the others, but she missed him too.

"Who were you thinking?" Rick asked.

"There's me, Rick, Michonne, Glenn," she held up a finger for each person as she looked around the table.

Ty shook his head and went back to eating when she got to him.

"Daryl, Carol…then maybe Abraham, one or two of those cops so they don't feel left out," Sasha continued.

"I don't know, maybe that's too many people," she shrugged and took another bite to distract herself from what she really meant. _Since we don't have that many people anymore…_she absently adjusted the rolled-up cuffs of her green jacket's too-long sleeves.

….

Beth woke up again and she felt a little more clearheaded, but only a little.

Edwards came to talk to her. Knowing that her life was, more or less, in that man's hands made her feel cold, but she was in no position to say anything against him now. So she swallowed her resentment and distrust because she knew Daryl and Rick would be watching him like a hawk.

"How do you feel?" Dr. Edwards asked, the perfect image of the concerned doctor.

"Alright," Beth answered, "Can't feel much below my belly though."

Edwards checked her vitals, made a few notes on her chart, said, "I'll be back later to change your bandage," and was gone.

Beth looked around the small room. Daryl was propped up in a chair leaned back against the wall, snoring.

She smirked. Daryl was adamant that he didn't snore, even though Beth had caught him more than once. It wasn't loud, though, and only happened sometimes, if he fell asleep in a weird position.

Turning her head to the side where the pillow was a little fluffier, Beth drifted along the edge of sleep for a bit, until she heard the door open again.

"Hey, there." It was Rick.

"Hey," she said, as Rick sat in the chair beside her bed.

"You doing alright?" he asked, concerned.

Beth nodded, "I'm comfy." She had a strong suspicion that Edwards would never have given her this amount of painkillers if the situation wasn't what it was.

"I'm glad you're back with us, Beth," Rick said, "You're family too, you know."

Beth nodded again, waited. She felt like he had more to say. She knew what it was going to be about.

"I'm sorry," she said before Rick could speak, "It was stupid to do that. I was just, I was overconfident, I guess. I was stupid."

"Beth, listen," Rick shook his head and said seriously, "You're _not_ stupid. I trust your judgment. If you say she had to go, then she had to go."

He said it with such certainty.

"I know you can handle yourself with walkers, but it's different with people, Beth. You know that now. Next time, you give me a signal and I'll take care of it. Me or Daryl. We'll handle it. Understand?"

Beth nodded. _Yeah, sure. Next time I want to kill someone, just call Rick Grimes and he'll take care of it. No big deal. _It seemed a little absurd at first, but considering everything that had happened the past few days, it really wasn't absurd at all.

"Promise?" Rick asked.

"I promise," Beth confirmed.

They talked about lighter things for a bit then Beth started to feel sleepy again. Rick patted her shoulder and left.

Beth drifted in and out of sleep for a while, until she realized Maggie was back and she felt like talking a little more.

"Hey," Beth said, motioning to Daryl, "tell him to go rest."

"I'm alright," Daryl grunted, awake after all.

Beth didn't think he'd left her room once, since this whole thing started. _He doesn't want to leave me alone. _

"Go on," Beth said, "I'm alright. Really."

"I'll keep watch," Maggie nodded at her friend.

Daryl begrudgingly pulled himself up from the chair, glanced back at Beth one more time to make sure she was still there, and slowly left to find somewhere more comfortable for a few hours.

…

TBC!

A/N: Please review! Tell me what you think so far!

Preview: It takes a long time to recover from such a serious injury. Beth will have plenty of time to rest and catch up on missed time with all her visitors. Carl has a special gift for her. Daryl brings by someone who Beth thought she'd never see again.


	8. Chapter 8 - Join the Club

New Sheriff in Town

Summary: Beth receives a heartfelt gift and a joyful reunion!

A/N: This chapter has the scene that inspired the story title! I hope you like it.

…

Chapter 8 – Join the Club

Daryl stood up and stretched his sore muscles. He glanced back once to see Beth smiling softly at him then pushed through the door.

_She's gonna be alright. Maybe I should get some rest…_ but Daryl didn't feel like resting just yet.

He walked down the now-spotless hallway. From the sun in the windows, it must be early afternoon. Rick and most of the group were gathered in the cafeteria but Daryl wasn't hungry. Hospitals always gave him an uncomfortableness.

He found Carol in one of the patient rooms.

"How is she?" Carol looked up as he entered, asking about Beth.

"I think she's gonna be alright," Daryl answered, glad to see Carol sitting up in bed.

"How 'bout yourself?" he asked. He knew Carol hated that kind of attention, especially when she was hurt, but he had to ask. "What'd the doctor say?"

"Don't know," Carol thought about that for a bit, "Don't think I've actually talked to him…"

Daryl frowned. _What kind of place was this?_

"I don't think anything's broken, though. I would feel it if it was," Carol assured him, pulling a face, "Now, bruised, yeah. Everything aches…a lot."

_I'm so tired of people getting hurt._

Before Daryl could go looking for him, Dr. Edwards knocked on the door and let himself in, followed by Noah, who was now his self-appointed assistant.

"How do you feel today?" he asked in an overly cheerful doctor voice.

_Trying too hard._ Daryl narrowed his eyes at the doctor. Even after saving Beth, Daryl wasn't sure how far he trusted the man.

"I feel like I was hit by a truck," Carol said bluntly.

_That's not funny_, Daryl thought.

"Actually," Noah spoke up, "it was a car."

"What?" Dr. Edwards seemed irked.

"It was a car, not a truck," Noah felt the need to specify, "She was hit by a police cruiser."

Dr. Edwards didn't have anything to say to that.

"Also, the day before, we were in a van…It fell off a bridge," Daryl added for emphasis.

The doctor visibly faltered, then seemed to recover his composure and launched himself into examining Carol for injuries, snapping orders to Noah.

…...

Carl peeked through the window. _She's awake._ He went inside and sat awkwardly by the bed.

"Hey, Beth," he said. It felt like it'd been a year since he saw her last.

"Hey, Carl," Beth greeted him.

After so long on the run, living in the woods, in the prison, in abandoned houses, it was strange to see someone in a hospital bed, wearing hospital clothes. It reminded him of when his dad was in the hospital, before all this started, and he came and visited him.

"Hey, you're like me now. We've both been shot," Carl said.

"Yeah, I guess we have," Beth answered, "Isn't that weird?"

Carl nodded.

She looked at Carl more closely, "Did you grow? It hasn't been that long, but it feels like ages, you know. I think you got taller."

Beth said it nicely, she was always genuinely nice, but Carl couldn't help wishing that she didn't still think of him as such a kid.

"Yeah, I guess," Carl shrugged.

They fell quiet for a bit but it was a comfortable quiet. It really was good to see someone, who he thought he might never see, again. First Judith, and now Beth.

"I'm glad we found you," he found himself telling Beth, "I think things will be better now, with everyone back together again."

"Well, almost everyone," he amended, feeling like a jerk. He could tell from her face that Beth must be thinking about the prison, the last time they had seen each other, the last time everyone had been together, with Hershel…

At first Carl thought they weren't going to talk about it, but then Beth asked, "You got out with your dad?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

Carl messed with a tear on his sleeve.

"I'm sorry about your dad," he said, looking a Beth directly. _My dad almost died, too, that day. I was lucky. _He wished he had something else to say, something nice, but that was all he could come up with.

"Thanks," Beth said softly.

Then Carl thought of something. He always wished he could do something big, important, help people like his dad always did and every so often he thought of something and knew that he had to do it.

Carl reached up and took off his beat-up old Sheriff's hat. He placed it on Beth's head and grinned.

"Since you're in the club now, you get to wear the hat. Didn't you know?"

…

_What. A. Day._ Edwards heard the satisfying click of his office door closing behind him. He walked around his messy desk and dropped gratefully into his chair. _Quiet, blessed quiet._

Edwards took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Since the chaos began, there had hardly been a moment to think. _Everything is different now, for better or for worse…_

_Damn you, Dawn._

Now, for the first time, certainly the first time since the world had moved on, and maybe even the first time in his life, Edwards worked with only one goal. He did his job with the singular purpose of helping his patients, to the best of his ability. No more maneuvering to ensure his position, playing politics with who lived or died, always watching his back…no more competing for that next promotion, or the top grade, or any of it.

Now all that mattered was healing people. And if he faltered, then the scary man with the beard would slit his throat. Apparently, he used to be a cop. _Why always a cop?_ Or the man who was always glaring, he was probably a Hell's Angel or something, walking around with angel wings on his leather vest. Or Carol, the woman who survived being hit with a car and supposedly also driving off a bridge.

He didn't doubt that any one of them would do it, either. _Stone cold killers, all of them._ Edwards shivered, then decided that it was best to turn his thoughts towards something productive, like reviewing his list of patients.

It was a list that had lengthened dramatically in the past day.

First and foremost was a young woman with a gunshot wound to the stomach. _If she dies, I die._

Then a scary grey-haired woman with several bruised ribs, a possibly fractured collarbone, and minor internal bleeding.

A man sporting a mullet, of all things, suffering from a serious concussion. He was apparently punched in the face and the back of his head hit a fire truck.

An Army Ranger with lacerations on his right hand, most likely from punching somebody in the face.

A preacher with a puncture wound on his left foot, probably needs a tetanus shot.

Also, Noah has a sprained ankle. Injury due to jumping down an elevator shaft onto a pile of rotting corpses.

If Dr. Edwards' luck continued in the same manner it had been, the list would probably only grow tomorrow.

…

After Carl visited and left her with his beloved hat, Beth spent most of the day sleeping.

_I've been shot_, was the recurring statement that first floated in her mind each time she woke up. Sometimes it scared her, thinking about how close she'd come to dying and how badly she wanted to live.

But, as the days stretched one into another and her strength slowly returned, the _I've been shot_ knowledge wasn't that scary at all. It was simply something that had happened. It wasn't as bad as she'd first thought it would be.

_Gunshot wound. It's not that bad. Just sleep it off._

That's what everyone kept telling her anyway, 'Get some rest,' or 'Beth, don't push yourself. You should rest' or 'Don't worry about anything, just rest'. For the most part she didn't mind, because she still felt very weak most of the time.

After so much time running and fighting and keeping her guard up, it was a small shock to spend days on end doing nothing but lying in bed, waiting to get better.

Beth sat in bed, propped up by a prodigious amount of pillows, reading a book when someone pushed her door open.

"Are you feeling up for visitors?" Daryl asked.

"Huh?" Beth looked up from her book, curious why Daryl suddenly felt the need to ask if he could visit.

Then Beth saw what Daryl was holding in his arms; more specifically, who he was holding.

"Oh!" Beth cried, reaching her arms out.

"Oh, Judith!" Beth felt a hot rush of joy as Daryl carefully placed the little girl on the bed next to Beth.

"Look how big she's gotten!" Beth exclaimed, "Oh, sweetie! Look at you!"

Beth wrapped her arms around the disoriented toddler, trying not to move much because it hurt to twist her body too far. She felt tears of joy spill over.

"Judith, honey, do you remember me?" Beth asked in a sweet voice, even though she was sure Judith was much too young to remember her.

For her part, Judith cooed something in her baby language and patted Beth on the face, which made Beth laugh. The little girl loved being the center of attention.

She'd known that Judith was alive. Carol told her so after waking up, but Beth had stored that information away, maybe subconsciously not getting her hopes up too soon. It was different being told something was true and then seeing it for herself.

_I thought you were lost!_ Beth thought as she looked down at Judith tucked in close beside her. _I missed you so much!_

When she looked up again, Beth caught Daryl smiling, as much as Daryl ever smiled. Beth wiped a hand across her face and then reached over to squeeze Daryl's hand, at a loss for words.

_I'm so happy!_

…..

A/N: What do you think, should I continue this story? I might update periodically. I figured we need a happy scene where we can get one, all things considered.


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